The Way Home: Atonement
by Bousan'sHanayome
Summary: Three sisters and their best friend; one obsessed with food and getting stronger, one with a beautiful smile and dangerous past, one who loves to gamble, and a girl with a violent temper who gave her heart to her best friend.
1. Can we fit eight people in a jeep?

_Somewhere in Shangri-la, as our story opens on a familiar scene…._

"Do you want to die!"

The monk gave the two men in the backseat of the jeep a glare; pointing his gun threateningly at the both of them. His seatmate, a young dark haired man, smiled calmly at him; all the while keeping his hands and eyes on the wheel.

"They'll wear their selves out eventually. You should just ignore them Sanzo."

The monk simply turned to face forward, his gun disappearing into his robes.

"How can you really ignore them, Hakkai?"

The driver laughed a little.

"It's really simple. I can't."

"GOJYO, STOP KICKING ME!"

"WELL STAY ON YOUR SIDE OF THE JEEP, YOU STUPID CHIMP!"

"In the name of all things holy, shoot me…."

Hakkai simply laughed and continued steering the jeep on its course towards a small village.

"We'll be in the village in about an hour. Please, don't kill each other yet, ok?"

* * *

She glanced at the clock. 4:00 p.m. Damn, it was two more hours until her shift ended. This meant she wasn't going to get to the temple until 7:00 or later.

'_I hate this job.' _

Wearily, she sat the tray on the counter and sighed. How long was she going to live in this town? How long was she going to work as a waitress for her mother?

"How long until I get sick of living?..."

"Oh, stop thinking like that! You'll never kill yourself, 'cause you're a chicken."

She whirled around, startled; only to come face to face with her youngest sister. She rolled her eyes.

"Jana, why do you have to BUG ME? Go bus tables or something; I'm busy contemplating how to kill myself with a tea tray."

Her sibling contented herself by jumping up and sitting on the counter behind her, swinging her feet.

"You could always whack yourself repeatedly over the head until your dead. But that would be messy. And mom'll really be mad if you mess up her favorite tea tray, Rayne."

She snatched up the tea tray and stomped past Jana.

"Go ANNOY someone else, Jana. I don't have the time!"

The door swinging shut behind her seemed to finalize her statement. The young girl left standing in the kitchen simply gazed at the door; a mixture of sadness and anger reflected in her eyes.

"No, you never do."

* * *

"Sanzo, I'm hungry!"

Goku trailed behind the monk, tugging on his robes. They had only arrived in the small village 2 minutes, but Goku had already gone off on his normal mantra. Even so, Sanzo couldn't even concentrate on Goku's moaning because of the gnawing sensation in the pit of his stomach; one that had been there ever since the jeep rolled into the town.

'_I know this place. I've been here.'_

He shook his head, trying to clear away the feelings of déjà vu penetrating his thoughts. That was absurd; he had never been this far west in his entire life. Stopping to light a cigarette, he still couldn't shake the feeling that something, whether it was the town or not he hadn't decided, was familiar to him. He surveyed his surroundings, trying to place a face with whatever was causing the feeling of déjà vu; when he caught a glimpse of something in an alleyway. He glanced at the group, who were still arguing over whether to sleep first or eat; an argument that featured, as usual, Gojyo against Goku with Hakkai as the peacemaker. Satisfied with that fact that they were otherwise occupied, he strode into the alley, his hand, of course, on his gun hidden underneath his robes. However, as he reached the point of the alley in which the object he had glimpsed stood, he realized his gun wasn't going to do shit.

"Hello, Konzen."


	2. Ch 2: In which the boys find an inn

She slammed the tea tray down on the counter and sighed. This was boring; this was worse than boring, this was……..well, she didn't have a word for it at the moment, but she would think of one. Untying her apron, she slipped it over her head and laid it across the back of a chair.

'_Really hate this job.'_

She lit a cigarette and sat down in the chair. Soon, her mother would come looking for her and force her to go back to work, so she might as well enjoy her little 'break'. Glancing out the window, she watched the sunlight as it created shadows in the backyard. How many times had she sat here over the years, doing the exact same thing she was doing? Well, minus the cigarette; she had started that when she was 17.

'_7 years. I've been working at this damn inn wearing this damn apron for seven damn years. Busing tables, cleaning up vomit from the drunks, getting pinched on the ass by said drunks. My life's been one biiiig party.'_

"Ever since he left……"

She shook her head and snubbed the cigarette out. She had made up her mind never to think about him again. Not since he left her alone; alone to rot in this place with no one but her mother and sisters to keep her company. But she couldn't blame him, not really. She wouldn't blame anyone for leaving someone like _her_ behind. Standing up, she sighed as she heard her mother's voice, rather annoyed, calling her.

"I'm coming! Geez…….."

She slipped her apron back on and started to pick up the tray, when she noticed a glass of wine one of her siblings left on the counter. She picked it up and smiled bitterly at her reflection in the liquid.

"Here's to you. I hope you're as miserable as I am."

With that, she drained the glass and picked up the tea tray; making her way back to the miserable little drunk world known as her job.

* * *

Meanwhile, in an alleyway nearby, a certain goddess was staring down the barrel of a Smith and Wesson. She smiled coyly at the monk at the other end of the gun.

"Come now Konzen - oh, I'm sorry, you're Genjo Sanzo now, aren't you? But that's beside the point, really."

He cocked back the hammer and growled at the woman. She was really starting to get annoying; popping up everywhere. Not to mention every time she showed up, shit started.

"What is it you want, you miserable old hag?"

The goddess simply sighed and folded her arms across her chest; all the while keeping that same sly smirk.

"It's simple, really. I am here for the same reason you are. I believe you know what that is."

He lowered the gun a little, suspicious. He also hated her little riddles she seemed to be so full of.

"No, actually I don't. But I'm guessing that it has something with the little matter of my déjà vu?"

She smiled at him; not exactly laughing but implying she found something he said amusing. Yet another annoying habit of hers. But if he kept counting the annoyances he found with her, his guard would be down and he wasn't going to let the hag catch him like that.

"My, aren't we the smart one? You are right, however; that was exactly what I was referring to."

"And I'm guessing you know exactly what is causing this feeling?"

"Oh, I suppose I could tell you the reason, but that wouldn't be much fun for me, would it? However, I will give you a clue. The answer to your problem will be at the inn down the street. Purchase a room for the night, and you'll find out why you were drawn to this place."

He placed the gun back his robes and folded his arms.

"Well, isn't that……….descriptive. Still, why do you want me to find this thing so badly?"

"I had a hunch you would ask that. To be honest, the reason for your déjà vu is pertinent to your journey. You will need it as the road ahead of you progresses. And, it will be absolutely fascinating to watch; I wouldn't miss it for the world. Oh, and just a small piece of advice. It's not a what; it's a who." At that point, she started laughing insanely, as she was wont to do.

Sanzo blinked in confusion, in a state of utter loss. However, as amusing as the goddess might have found his expression to be, she did not continue her laughter. Instead, her face and eyes held the air of utmost seriousness.

"I know how strange this must be to you, for me to be advising you to find a person. But as much as your brain would go against the mission I am setting you on, you must listen to your heart. I am gravely serious, Sanzo; if you do not do this, if you do not go to the inn and complete my request, the person in question could be killed."

She turned away; sighing.

"And please, don't fail me. Remember, you are the only entertainment I have these days."

Her figure wavered for moment, before finally melting away, leaving Sanzo standing in the alleyway; his hand still on the handle of the Smith and Wesson. Gradually, he came to his senses; particularly after he heard Goku yelling his name. He slowly made his way back to the main street, his head swimming with thoughts. He noticed, however, that while talking to the goddess, it had been silent; in spite of the fact that they were surrounded by buildings on either side. But as soon as she left the noise had gradually returned, like a train approaching. By the time he reached the street, it was back to its normal level. Goku bounced up to him, chattering away about something he didn't quite follow; followed languidly by Hakkai and Gojyo. His calm, monocle wearing friend surveyed him with some concern.

"What is it, Sanzo? Where were you?"

The monkey wasted no time in backsliding into his normal routine. He tugged furiously on the monk's robes.

"Sanzo, I'm hungry! Can we go eat now! Can we, can we, can we, ca-"

_thwap_

"Shut up, you stupid monkey."

Sticking the fan back into his robes, he set off down the street. He shook his head, sighing. _'I can't believe I'm doing this….especially for that old hag's entertainment.'_

"Come on; I know where an inn is."


	3. Ch 3: In which we go through the drudger...

**BO: Rather long chappie here people...**

* * *

"Rayne! You were supposed to write down all the sales today! Rayne; I'm talking to you!... Rayne!"

A rather older woman, somewhere in her forties, pushed the swinging door to the kitchen open. No sign of her eldest daughter, but her middle and youngest were both in the kitchen. The youngest was busy chattering to her older sister about something, probably a boy she met at school; the older leaning against the counter eating what appeared to be left-over bean soup. The woman sighed in disgust at her middle daughter's clothing: a tank top and low-slung jeans, but decided against scolding her on her wardrobe for now; she had more important things to worry about. Considering Jana, her youngest, had been fighting with the eldest daughter lately, she chose her other daughter to ask about the whereabouts of her sister.

"Enoki, have you seen Rayne?"

At the sound of her name, the middle girl finished her meal by tipping the bowl up and drinking the rest of the soup out of the bowl. Setting the bowl on the counter, she then turned her attention to the question her mother put to her.

"Yes; she went to the temple as soon as her shift was over. Said she was going to be late." She noticed her mother silently seething facial expression and grimaced.

"Something wrong, mother?"

And it that instance, her mother exploded.

"Yes, there is something wrong! Your sister, your bubble-brained, air-headed sister forgot to write down all the sales for the day! I knew I shouldn't have trusted her with that! You know, ever since we've moved here, she's been nothing but trouble; no help whatsoever! I swear, I-"

"That's not true!"

The woman turned her attentions to her youngest daughter, from which the outburst had originated. The girl had hopped off the counter and was staring at her mother, fuming.

"You know that's not true. Raynie is not worthless! Without her, this inn would have gone under the minute we opened it! She's been nothing BUT help, and she does more work than any of us here. And by the way—"

She pulled a roll of papers out of her back pocket and threw them down on the counter, disgusted.

"There are your stupid sales. Ray told me to give them to you because she didn't have the time. All you have to do is copy them down in the book."

She shook her head and ran out of the room; the door slamming behind her. The elder daughter sighed and turned to the sink.

"I'm going to wash the dishes now, mom. After that, I'll copy down the sales."

The woman started to protest, but decided against it. She simply picked up the roll of papers and walked back into the foyer for the inn. Enoki sighed.

"It's getting bad around here."

* * *

The temple monk sighed and leaned over the short wall that was his post. Soon, they would have to close the temple gates; it was becoming dark and, for fear of demon attacks, the priests had ordered that the gates be shut at sundown every day. Which meant if the girl didn't arrive soon…..

'_She'll be locked out with those monsters.'_

He shivered. He had known the girl since her family had moved to the area and while her fighting skills were unrivaled by anyone he had ever met, he seriously doubted even she would emerge from a night in a demon filled forest without a scratch. Not to mention the fact that if she did in fact manage a feat like that, it would only make the rest of the monks fear her even more. Glancing at the tree line, he took into account that the sun had dipped as low as he could allow with his stalling. He shook his head sadly and motioned to the guards to begin closing the gates. He hoped she wouldn't be naïve enough to try and come now, if she was still close enough to the village. Now, he could only prayer for her.

"WAIT! Don't shut the door yet!"

He whirled on his heel as a small figure burst from the forest. He smiled, relieved that she had made it in time. He hurried to the ladder and shouted to the guards below.

"Hold the gate! She approaches!"

He quickly descended from his post. He knew that it would not be an easy task to hold the doors until she arrived. The doors were made of solid iron with steel bars that fell into arranged slots on both sides as soon as the doors were shut. Iron chains held the gates flush with the walls while they stood open in the daytime. A mechanism designed by one of the monks of the order allowed the doors to swing shut by themselves once they were released from the chains that held them to the walls. Holding the gates open would mean working against that mechanism; it would entail almost all of the manpower at the temple. However, with only six guards and himself, he doubted that they would even hold it open for a few seconds. He quickly helped the guards grab the chains and as they began to pull, he raced to the opening between the two doors, an opening that was quickly becoming a mere crack.

"My lady, you must hurry! These gates can't be held! You must inside before they close; otherwise you will be stuck out there in the forest!"

The woman hasted her pace; sliding through the gates at the last possible minute; if she had arrived a few seconds later, the gate would have slammed shut on her. The monk again breathed a sigh of relief and clasped her hands in his.

"I am so very glad you made it, Rayne. I would have been so very worried about you had you not arrived when you did. The forest is dangerous; you shouldn't be left out there."

The girl smiled at him sweetly; a smiled that caused him to grow slightly red around his ears. This girl, this woman, was something special; he had known it the moment he laid eyes on her. She was quiet in the beginning, keeping to herself and preferring to curl up with a book than shop and talk like the normal girls. In fact, he distinctly remembered that she spoke to no one, not even her younger sisters, for the first full year they resided in the village. She instead communicated through the writing of notes and drawings she made. This was the strange fact that brought them together in the first place, himself and this girl. She wrote in a branch of Sanskrit known to be a form that monks commonly used. Consequently, he met her by accident; he was buying supplies for the temple when he stumbled across her in a general store in town. The clerk at the counter was having obvious trouble deciphering her note, a note which when read by him, was easily decoded. Soon, he had befriended the young girl, who he learned spent most of her childhood at a temple in the east, which accounted for her rather strange written language. However, her stone composure she held around other people was changed as the village came under attack one night. Along with most of the monks from the temple and well as a fair share of villages, she stood her ground against the demons, even facing some of them in hand to hand combat. Only 15 at that time, her fighting skills were impressive even then; killing at least a dozen demons by herself and wounding countless others. Finally, when the battle had come to a close and the villagers had returned to their houses to see to their families and care for the wounded, the girl spoke for the first time. Turning to him, she smiled slightly amid the blood and bruises on her small face.

"Demons suck."

However amusing her first words to him were, she nevertheless became a regular chatterbox after that; although she tended to talk about religious and philosophical matters. As she grew older, he had noticed a change within her. When not engaged in a conversation or some other activity that required her interest, she lapsed into silence; her face a stone mask, unreadable and void of any expression except maybe a slight look of someone who is lost in thought or trying to recall a long forgotten memory. However, her eyes told a different story. Cloudy at times, her eyes constantly had a look of loss and bitterness; as though she was in constant mourning over the death of a loved one. The villagers as well as the temple monks feared her, for when she fought against the demons that frequently attacked the temple and surrounding village, she would attack fluidly and gracefully, her limbs possessing an animal-like quality to them. Many a time he had glanced to her in battle, had caught her eye and was taken aback to find that the gentle girl he knew was gone; replaced by a woman who held a fire within her gaze. However, at the moment, the only thing reflected in her eyes was her smile.

"It's ok, Ekichi; I could have taken take of myself."

She placed a hand on his shoulder as they began to walk back across the courtyard of the temple.

"So, what is it? You told me to come today, but you didn't say what it was about."

He nodded and put his arm around her shoulders, carefully steering her inside the temple.

"Yes; it is as I told you earlier. I fear the demon situation is getting worse."

* * *

Enoki sat on the stool behind the reception desk; idly drawing on a spare piece of paper. It was her shift, and she was utterly bored.

"This sucks……..I could be at the casino, playing cards and making money off of idiots. But nooooooo, I have to stay here and hold down the fort because Rayne has to go to the temple. Hypocrite; she hates monks! I can't be-"

She stopped in mid-rant as the front door swung open. A young man, with short chocolate hair and bright green eyes, stepped into the building out of the sunlight shining through the doorway. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she noticed there were four men in all. The green eyed man, however, approached the desk and smiled.

"Excuse me, but……do you happen to have any rooms available?"

She blinked, offset by his charming demeanor. Quickly, she regained her composure and nodded. "Yes, I'm sure…." She trailed off as she flipped through the book.

"Uh……..yes, we have two rooms available. Is that all right?" She leaned around him to peek at the rest of his party. There was a young boy tugging at the robes of a man she recognized as a high ranking monk. The other man she immediately recognized as a hanyou, a half breed of human and demon parentage. While his companions took no notice of her, he caught her eye and winked, giving her a scoundrel's smile. She felt blush rising clear to the roots of her hair, and only then did she realize the young man who ordered the rooms was trying to get her attention.

"Um…miss?"

"Oh, I so sorry! Um, how will you be paying for your rooms today, sir?"

The monk pushed his way to the front and laid down a think gold card. She raised her gaze from the card lying on the desk to meet his eyes.

"Just put it on there."

She nodded quickly and took the card, swiped it through the machine and laid it down on the desk as she pushed the book across the desk to the man.

"Here, you can sign yourselves in while I wait for the transfer to come through."

The green eyed man smiled at her again and picked up the pen lying in the crease of the book. He had hardly finished writing when the credit machine beeped, signaling the transfer was complete. She ripped the receipt off and laid it with the card, pushing it back across the desk to the monk.

"Here's you card; enjoy your stay!"

The green-eyed man thanked her, while the monk simply grumbled something under her breath. The young boy tromped up the stairs, complaining about being hungry. The red head, however, winked at her again before disappearing up the stairs. Shaking her head, she pulled the register book back across the desk towards her; her gaze falling on the man's name written on the page.

Cho Hakkai.


	4. Ch 4: In which Gojyo gets a dame

Sanzo stared at the ceiling. They had been at this stupid inn for an hour already, but nothing had given him the slightest clue as to what he was supposed to find here. Idly, he turned his head to gaze out the window beside his bed; but of course there was nothing to look at but clear night sky. Presently, he heard the door creak open and, hoping it wasn't Goku coming to complain about being hungry, he slowly rolled over; relieved to find it was Hakkai. He sat up on the bed and ran his hands through his hair. _Stupid hag._

Hakkai sat down on the bed opposite him.

"I see you're awake. Goku and Gojyo went for supplies; and I found out that there's a restaurant in the inn, so feeding Goku shouldn't be a problem."

He frowned as Sanzo continued to stare at the floorboards.

"Is something bothering you? Sanzo?"

The monk sighed and lit a cigarette. He told only Hakkai about his little chat with the goddess, figuring Goku and Gojyo were too incompetent to offer any advice on the situation and to be honest, Sanzo was close to admitting he needed help on this one.

"It's that damn hag. I can't……what does she want me to do? I haven't found a single damn thing that would give me a clue was to whom I'm supposed to find and we've been here for an hour!"

Hakkai smiled his normal smile and raised a finger as if making a point.

"Well, it might help………if you actually left room for a while. You've been in here since we arrived; I'm pretty sure the goddess isn't going to make it that easy for you to find what she's talking about."

Sanzo simply grumbled and stood up, making his way to the door.

"Oh Sanzo, if you see Gojyo, please tell him not to use all the money at the casino."

The response he received was the door slamming shut.

* * *

Gojyo sighed. The stupid monkey had seen the noodle stand and gone absolutely bonkers. Thankfully Sanzo had agreed to Hakkai's idea of giving Goku a moderate allowance, because he was definitely NOT going to pay for the chimp's food bill. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and continued walking away. Goku could find his way back to the inn by himself; and they had already taken the groceries back to the room. Hakkai was there taking a nap but Sanzo was gone, which Gojyo found mildly weird. The monk usually moped around the room the entire time they stayed in a town. He shrugged; he wasn't going to worry about what Droopy-eyes was doing, he was going to the casino to make some pocket change. With some luck, of course. And as he rounded the corner, it seemed his luck had just picked up considerably. The cute receptionist from the inn was walking down the street towards him. He smiled; he had liked her from the minute he saw her; although he had to admit he had never seen anyone like her. Her hair, which was a strangely exotic emerald green color, was cut right above her shoulder blades. The front of it was tucked behind her ear on one side while the other side hung in a fringe. She wore a white tank top that barely skimmed her midriff and jeans that were worn in the knees and low-slung. But what really added to her certain style was the chocolate trench coat she wore over everything else. As he remembered from catching her eye at the inn that evening, her eye color was a beautiful brown; almost the color of her coat. She glanced up from the ground as she approached and, catching his eye again, she waved and broke into a smile.

"Hey there, cutie!"

Hearing the strange salutation coming from the girl, he let out a short laugh. Soon, they reached each other and he noticed she was a couple inches shorted than him. He smiled and winked.

"Cutie, huh? What's your name gorgeous?"

She laughed, not giggled as he would of thought.

"I'm Enoki, Shuichi Enoki. And you are? Not cutie, I take it."

He laughed again and shook his head.

"I'm Gojyo. Sha Gojyo. Can I ask what a pretty lady like is doing out all alone on a night like this?"

She put her hands behind her head and seemed to be lost in thought.

"Weeell, I was finished with my shift at the inn, so I figured I'd mosey down to the casino and mooch some money off the tourists."

He raised an eyebrow and snickered.

"My kind of woman. As a matter of fact, I was just about to do the exact same thing." He held out his arm for hers. "Could I interest a beautiful woman in an escort to the casino?"

She giggled this time and put her arm through his.

"I would love it, darling."

* * *

A . N Oooooooh...Gojyo's got a girl. Maybe next chappie we'll find the wandering monk...

**BO: gets down on her knees This is my first story! Please RR!**


	5. Ch 5: In which the boys get suspicious

"All right, who's next?"

The red-headed water sprite grinned over the cards he held in his hand. Beside him, the green-haired beauty reclined in a chair, sipping on a beer.

"I think you've pretty much scared all the fish off, sweetie."

She smiled and set the beer down on the playing table, leaning over to have a look at his hand. "And I think this'll pretty much be your last hand, 'cause the few that are left look pretty scraggy."

She glanced up at the two men left at the table; both of which looked like they were at the end of their ropes. She leaned further over the table, revealing a glimpse of her quite ahem ample bosom. She grinned.

"Well, what's it going to be, boys?"

After a few moments, the both of them stood up and threw their cards down.

"Aw, screw it. We're not going try it; you've beaten everyone in the casino!"

They stormed out as Enoki laughed and threw her arms around Gojyo's neck.

"I can't believe you did that! You must be really lucky; man, I've never seen those two back out of a game!"

He collected his winnings and winked at her.

"Well, I had a good luck charm with me this time."

She blushed and took to examining a painting on the wall to hide it. She waited until he was finished counting the money and they were out unto the street before she faced him again.

"Well? Should we head back to the inn? They should be getting ready to serve dinner now and they'd be really mad if I didn't come back to help."

He grinned and stuck the money in his pocket before he caught what she said.

" 'They'? Who are they?"

She laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him a little.

"My sisters, silly! They work at the inn too!"

He blinked for a minute; confused. He pulled on her arm, causing the both of them to stop.

"Sisters? As in more than one?"

She turned to him and nodded.

"Yes. I have two sisters. I'm the middle kid; my little sister is 16 and my older sister is 21. Why?"

But of course, at the moment Gojyo couldn't answer, because all he could think about was the 'older' sister's reaction when she found out he had been hitting on her baby sister.

'_I'm so dead. I just hope this babe's sweet like her sister.'_

Enoki must have seen the dread on his face, for she tugged on his wrist again and laughed.

"Gojyo, don't worry. Rayne's perfectly fine; she'll probably be happy I had someone to hang out with, instead of being cooped up in the inn all evening. Just come on, it'll be ok."

He nodded and put his arm around her shoulder; his scoundrel smile returning. "All right, but if she bites my head off, I'm coming after you." He chuckled before something she said earlier struck him as odd.

"Um….Enoki, you said you were the middle child. If your little sister is 16 and your older sister is 21, how old are you?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not illegal. My 20th birthday next month."

He breathed a loud sigh of relief. "I feel better now. So, let's get back to the inn. Believe me, if we get there after Goku, there won't be anything left."

"Goku? Who's that?"

"Short kid that came in with us? Brown hair, gold eyes, perpetual 'I'm hungry' written on his face?"

She giggled. "I think I might have noticed someone fitting that description with you guys."

"Yeah, well, he eats everything in sight. Stupid monkey…."

His shorter companion blinked in confusion. "Monkey?"

"Eh, just something I call him. Come on, we'd better get a move on." With that, he picked her up in his arms and took over running through the crowd. She shrieked with laughter and threw her arms around his neck.

"GOJYO! Don't run into anyone!"

* * *

"Hakkai, I'm hungry."

The complaint came from the young man who was, at the moment, sprawled across his masters' bed; apparently trying to eat the pillow. The older man sitting across from him simply smiled as usual.

"You'll have to wait, Goku. Gojyo and Sanzo should be back soon and then we'll go and eat. Besides, didn't you tell me that you thought Sanzo was going to be mad at you for spending all of your allowance at a noodle stand?"

Goku rolled over and sat up, the grumpy 'I'm hungry, I don't care who's not here' look still plastered across his face. Only now child-like worry was mixed into his expression.

"Do you think he is going to be really pissed at me this time?"

"Well, you did kind of promise him you wouldn't spend it all on food. I think that might make him a tad bit mad."

He nodded and sighed. Hakkai turned his attention back to the book in his hand. He didn't think anything else of the boy next to him until a loud thudding made him look up. Goku was lying face down on the floor, apparently fainted.

"Goku!"

The young man on the floor turned his head slowly to the side.

"So……..hungry……."

Hakkai smiled, laughing at his young friend, when there was a knock at the door. They both turned their attention to it as the door swung open, revealing two young women. The older one, a young woman with light brown hair which was pulled into a bun with small pieces framing her face, blushed and bowed.

"I'm so sorry for bothering you…..but….."

She was interrupted by the younger woman, more like a girl, who flounced into the room with a smile on her face. She wore a stylish red Chinese top and black pants; her dark brown hair done up in pigtails.

"We just wanted to tell you guys that supper will be ready in a minute! I—"

She stopped as her eyes met Goku's. Blushing, she continued with her spill.

"I was……we were wondering if you needed anything."

Goku suddenly jumped up off the floor and brushed himself off.

"I'm Goku. What's your name?"

He gazed at the young girl, his cheeks slightly red. She smiled and lowered her eyes to the floor.

"My name's Jana. Shuichi Jana." She blinked, almost as if she forgot the woman behind her and turned, waving her hand.

"Oh! And this is my best friend, Ina! Ina?... Hello!"

She put her hands on her hips and glared at the older girl; who had pulled a book out of her apron pocket and began reading. At the sound of her name, she realized what she was doing and blushed furiously; stuffing the book back into her pocket.

"I'm so sorry! I just tend to go of into my own little world…" She glanced over at Hakkai and smiled, still red. He smiled and nodded in agreement.

"I know exactly how that is. I'm Hakkai, by the way. Thank you for asking, but I'm certain we don't need anything right at this particular moment. After our roommates return we might though." He thought about this for a moment.

"By the way, Miss Shuichi, have you seen our roommates? They're a tall man with red hair and a blonde monk."

The woman at the door blushed and shook her head. "I haven't seen them recently. But please, call me Ina." She motioned for her little sister to follow her. "We'll be in the kitchen if you need anything. Please, don't hesitate to ask."

She left, followed by Jana who quickly glanced over her shoulder and gave Goku a smile before running out the door. Goku groaned and threw himself back onto the bed. Somehow, Hakkai didn't think he was occupied with food anymore.

* * *

Ina and Jana reached the end of the stairs as the exact moment the front door slammed open, followed by Enoki, in the arms of a red-headed man Ina took to be Hakkai and Goku's roommate. The two of them looked beaten, as if they just ran a mile. Well, the red-head did, which seemed a likely look considering that he was carrying Enoki. Ina looked at her friend with some concern.

"Noki, why is he carrying you? Are you hurt?"

The red-head sat her down and sighed, leaning against the doorframe. The emerald hair girl smiled at her worried friend.

"No, he was just carrying me so we could get here faster. He said his roommate would eat all the food if he didn't get here before he did." She giggled and turned to the red-headed.

"You ok, Gojyo?"

He waved his hand and stood up straight.

"Yep. Fit as a fiddle. I just hope Goku hasn't eaten everything in sight yet…."

Ina shook her head.

"Don't worry, we just told them supper would be ready in a minute. However, there is your other roommate. The monk, he isn't back yet?"

Gojyo shrugged and placed his hands behind his head, heading upstairs.

"Don't worry about him. Sanzo's always late; he'll be here."

Suddenly, a small face piped up behind him.

"Sanzo? You don't mean Genjo Sanzo, do you!"

He turned around to face the owner of the voice; the youngest of the three women now standing in the foyer.

"Yeah; that's the one. Purple eyes, blonde hair, bad temper and itchy trigger finger. Why, you heard of him?"

The young girl didn't answer. Instead she turned to the older girl and bounced up and down on one foot, then the other.

"Ooooooooh, oooooooooh, Raynie's going to be mad!"

The older girl, Ina, shook her head and put her finger to her lips, signaling for her younger friend to be silent. Gojyo's interest, however, was peaked.

"Wait. Why would Enoki's older sister be mad that Sanzo's here? What, did he hit on her once upon a time or something? Nah, the monk wouldn't know a good looking woman if she bit him…….."

He trailed off, waiting for an answer. Ina and the young girl looked at each other, apparently trying to decide if he should know. Enoki however, coughed a little and seemed to be looking behind Gojyo. After a few seconds, Gojyo found out why.

_click_

"Mind your own damn business, you perverted water-sprite."

* * *

A . N Ooooh, somebody's pissed. I wonder who...stupid question and she gets whacked with the _harisen_ for it Ok, no more stupid questions.

**Sanzo**: Good. _Baka-onna_...

**BO: **Say that again, Preacher-boy, and I'll make sure you know what stupid is.


	6. Ch 6: In which we find ourselves with a ...

"Ekichi, hurry up, you slow-ass!"

Rayne trudged through a patch of tall weeds, making her way through the forest. Convincing the monks at the temple she needed to return to the inn because her shift was coming up wasn't easy; nor was trying to convince Ekichi that she didn't need someone to walk her home. Of course, she lost that argument, as was apparent by the monk stumbling to keep up with her. He finally made it past the weeds and caught up, breathing heavily. She poked him in the stomach playfully.

"Really now, Eki, being around all those idiots at the temple has made you a little round, hasn't it?"

Her friend simply glared at her teasing and gradually caught his breath after stopping to rest under a tree.

"Careful what you say, Rayne. Those 'idiots' are my elders. I have to answer to them when something goes wrong."

She rolled her eyes and pulled a bit of twig out of her hair.

"Feh. You listening to them just means you're as stupid as they are."

She pushed her way through the brush, sighing. "Come on, the town's just through these trees."

He sucked in a long breath and followed her. One of these days, she was going to get him killed. It seemed they continued on for another 20 minutes before they finally stopped again. He hunched over and tried desperately to catch his breath once again.

"See? The inn is right there, Eki."

She smiled at him and patted his shoulder. "Thanks for walking me back, but I can take it from here. Ok?"

She broke through the tree line and started running towards the inn. But first, she waved to him.

"Bye Eki! See you tomorrow."

He finished catching his breath and sighed. She really was going to get him killed. He turned and began making his way back to the temple. Thank god he knew how to fight or he'd never try walking through her in the dark. He shook his head sadly. Why Rayne continued working for her mother, he would never understand. She could do so much better.

* * *

Sanzo clicked the hammer back as Gojyo turned to face him. The water-sprite put up his hands in surrender.

"Don't shoot me, Droopy-eyes. You can't blame me for being a little curious about it."

Sanzo simply drew the gun back and whirled around.

"Feh. Idiot." With that witty comment, he started back up the stairs.

"Sanzo? Is that really you?"

He turned to face the youngest sister. After what seemed like an hour, he nodded. She took a step forward.

"You don't remember me, do you?"

Gojyo glanced from the little girl to Sanzo. Did the priest know her? It seemed unlikely to him that Sanzo would hang out with little kids. However, Sanzo's response surprised him.

"I know exactly who you are. And what of it?"

Gojyo blinked. The droopy-eyed priest actually knew the kid! Things were starting to get a little weird around here. Especially the girl's response, which was this; upon hearing Sanzo's reply, her face twisted as though she was about to cry, she lowered her head, walked over to the priest….

And kicked him square in the shin.

This made for some amusement for Gojyo and a cry of pain from Sanzo. Gojyo didn't even know the blonde had to in him, but the monk made a noise which was close to a shriek.

"God damn, what the hell was that for, Janachi!"

Gojyo blinked in confusion. He was sure the girl hadn't told him her name, which meant…….

'_Sanzo DOES know the kid? Freaky……..'_

He shook his head and decided to watch the little scene unfold. Jana lifted her head and looked at Sanzo with daggers in her gaze.

"You're an asshole! Just wait, Raynie's going to be sooo pissed when she finds you here! She'll be home any minute and as soon as she sees you she's going to go ballistic! I hope she K.Os your ass, because you deserve, you, you …BAKA! I can't believe you, you idi-"

Her little rant was cut short by two things; Sanzo's gun pointed at her forehead and the unmistakable sound of the back door of the inn slamming shut. Followed by the sounds that Gojyo figured Sanzo dreaded.

"Guys? I'm home."

Jana stuck her tongue out at Sanzo.

"So busted."


	7. Ch 7: A Revelation

"Guys? Where are you, geez…?"

Sanzo lowered the gun and folded his arms; apparently waiting for something. Gojyo stood there too, wanting to see this mystery girl that seemed to have Sanzo so wound up. The minutes seemed to tick by before the door to the foyer swung open slowly. Finally. Gojyo was getting tired from the suspense. He craned his head around to see the woman behind the door; however, he didn't have to crane far, because the door slammed open.

And an angel stepped through.

Or that was what went through Gojyo the perv's head. Actually, the woman who stepped into the doorway wasn't an angel, although she was beautiful. Her skin was so pale, almost like a lily, she seemed to glow when the light hit her. She wore a pale lilac Chinese dress with a vine silhouette wrapping around her entire figure, which was petite to say the least, except for her rather ahem large breasts. Her eyes, a brilliant cobalt blue, surveyed the room from under a mane of wavy, raven locks, which she kept pulled away from her face via a metal clasp around the ponytail she wore. Her facial structure was sharp and angled, only adding to her beauty. What was so striking to Gojyo, however, was that even though she was most definitely a woman, her facial expression at the moment looked very familiar to Gojyo.

It was same way that Sanzo looked.

Gojyo was afraid to look at Sanzo. But, out curiosity, bullets or no bullets, he turned his attention to the monk. And almost face vaulted when he saw him.

Sanzo was blushing.

Sanzo was gawking at the woman and blushing. Hard. The monk's face was about as red as Gojyo's hair and while he had closed his mouth, he was obviously shocked by the woman's appearance. This made Gojyo think maybe the girl hadn't been so………endowed the last time Sanzo saw her. However, the girl soon drew Gojyo's attention back to her.

"What are all of you doing standing around like a bunch of idiots?"

Gojyo whipped around and stared at the woman. She was a woman of little words, but when she talked, she certainly knew how to draw all the attention. Her face was relaxed now, her eyes resting on her sisters.

"Aren't you supposed to be cooking dinner?"

Her youngest sibling blinked and started towards her older sister; who she thought obviously:

A)Had amnesia.

B)Was about to explode into a rage so fiery that the demons in Hades would ask who the hell turned on the A.C

C)Had lost her mind and finally gone senile.

"Uh, Raynie, are you ok?"

Her sister smiled at her.

"Of course, I'm fine. Why?

Jana blinked and shifter her gaze from Rayne to Sanzo.

"Um……..you don't know who he is?"

Rayne looked up at the monk on the steps. Automatically, she frowned, taking on the appearance of Sanzo again. She gently moved past Jana and strode over to the stairs. Surprisingly, Sanzo walked down to meet her at the bottom. She stood in front of him, unmoving. Gojyo watched as the monk put the gun away and folded his arms.

"Well? Do you know who I am o-"

_slap_

Sanzo reeled back from the force of the smaller woman's hand connecting with his cheek. Wincing and rubbing the spot with his hand, he glared at her.

"Feel better?"

She raised her face to meet his gaze. Her cold, ice countenance was only altered by one thing; something which made the monk flinch even worse than when she hit him.

She was crying.

By the way her hair was situated around her face; he realized he was the only one who could see the tears that were threatening to spill onto her cheeks. As one tear escaped its prison and ran down on side, he noticed her face was slightly dirty; the tear cut a clean streak down her face. However, through all this, she simply smiled at him and turned towards the kitchen.

"Ina, Jana; come on. We have to prepare dinner for our guests."

Without another word, she simply strode across the room and back into the kitchen. After throwing rather confused glances in Sanzo's direction, the others followed her. Enoki watched Sanzo ascend the stairs before turning to Gojyo.

"You might want to go with him. I have a feeling he's going to give an explanation."

He nodded at the green haired woman and quickly followed the monk upstairs. She sighed.

"This is very bad."

* * *

Hakkai and Goku were engaged in a very enjoyable game of cards when the sound of the door being thrown open disturbed them. Both of the men turned to see a very, very upset Sanzo entered the room, followed by a curious Gojyo, who thankfully shut the door; because Sanzo chose that time to start yelling. This was unusual; for him to yell at the air and not one of the three in the room with him.

"God damn hag! Now I get it…….."

He raised his eyes to the ceiling and proceeded with the yelling; which Hakkai and Gojyo quickly deduced was aimed at the Merciful Goddess.

"Very funny; I get it, you ugly hag! I HOPE YOU GOT YOUR FING JOLLIES!"

Hakkai patted the air with his hands in an effort to reign in the very pissed priest. "Please, calm down Sanzo. Now, you would please explain why you are yelling at the Merciful Goddess."

The monk simply sat down in a chair and lit a cigarette. After a few puffs, he growled an answer.

"Because she's not that merciful. Let's just say……..I found out what or who she was talking about."

Hakkai nodded. He figured that was what riled Sanzo up, and probably what Gojyo was so curious about. Hell, it even peaked his interest. Taking his safety into his own hands, he asked very politely (even for Hakkai):

"I see. Do you mind if I ask who this person would be?"

For minutes, Hakkai thought that Sanzo either going ignore him or decide who he wanted to start shooting first. He was about to give up on the venture when a quiet response came from the monk. Everyone in the room, however, heard him loud and clear.

"My fiancé."

* * *

A . N : Oh, my. This is a surprise.

**Sanzo: No, it's not.**

**BH: STOP RUINING MY AUTHOR'S NOTES, YOU ASS!**

**Sanzo:sweatdrops: Never mind.**

**BH: Thank you. Please, RR.**


	8. Ch 8: Explaining?

"What!"

"Oh my…"

"What's a fiancé? Huh?"

The priest ground out his cigarette angrily. It wasn't like he particularly wanted his three companions to know about this. Keeping the silent deal up wasn't going to work, because as soon as he admitted who it was that had gotten violent with him in the foyer, the damn water sprite started up with his questions.

"Wait; you're saying you get to marry that babe! Damn..Sanzo, you're lucky…."

He growled irritably. This was exactly what he wanted to avoided. Of course, the old hag was probably laughing her head off at this.

(And somewhere in Tenkai, the Merciful Goddess sneezed.)

"I'm not marrying her, you idiot."

Hakkai, wearing his normal smile; although there was a bit more amusement in it, cleared his throat.

"Um, Sanzo, can monks even get married? I wasn't aware they could."

The blonde furiously lit another cigarette. "They can when their masters think it would be a good match. Which is what happened, if you're so curious to know."

Gojyo sat down on the bed beside Hakkai and poked his green-eyed friend in the ribs. "Oooh, sounds like a good story. Please tell."

Sanzo closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was getting a migraine from all this. "It's none of your damn business."

Gojyo laughed and lit a cigarette himself. "So you're saying you and this girl have been engaged since you were kids? What'd she do to make you hate her so much? Steal your crayons or something?" At that, Gojyo promptly starting laughing; apparently he cracked himself up. Sanzo slammed the cigarette pack down and stormed out. Gojyo turned to Hakkai, wiping tears from his eyes.

"What? What'd I do?"

Hakkai shook his head sadly. Gojyo was brain-dead. Goku sat on his master's bed and stared at the door.

"Should I go after him, Hakkai?"

Hakkai smiled and shook his head at the golden-eyed boy. "No, leave him alone Goku. Let him cool off."

* * *

Enoki leaned on the counter and carefully watched her sister; trying to make sure she didn't kill anyone and/or break anything. Since they had seen who exactly was staying at the inn, which was about 15 minutes ago, Rayne had:

Broken half of a 12 piece dinner set

Thrown two vases, both of which nearly hit someone

Kicked a hole in the garden wall the size of a tire

Dropped all the silverware at least 3 times.

All in all, her sister was nervous wreck. Finally, she snatched the plates from Rayne and sat them down on the table.

"Rayne; for the love of the gods, sit down and stop dropping things! We all know how upset you are, but breaking the dishes isn't going to help!"

Rayne blinked at her sister. Enoki had never used that tone of voice with her, ever. _'She must be as upset as I am…' _Sighing, she rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll get out of the way. Jana, you need to go tell our guests that dinner is ready." Her younger sister nodded and ran up the servants stairs to the second floor. Rummaging around in her jacket hanging on the coat rack, she grabbed a small packet and started out side. Enoki glanced up.

"Where are you going? Dinner is ready."

Rayne barely glanced over her shoulder.

"To smoke a cigarette. I'll be back."

As the door shut behind her oldest sibling, Enoki sighed. One day, those cigarettes were going to kill her.

'_If she doesn't do it herself……'_

* * *

He sighed and blew the cigarette smoke out into the frigid night air. It was freezing out here, but he could deal with it to smoke. Leaning his head back against the building, his thoughts immediately drifted back to her…..

_

* * *

_

_flashback: to the temple where Sanzo grew up_

"She's half drowned, Master. They found her when she wandered into the courtyard. Apparently, she has been out in this downpour all night."

As Kouryou waited for his master's reply to Shuei, he turned his attention to the "she" in question. A little girl, possibly even younger than him, stood somewhat behind Shuei. Dripping wet, she shivered from the cold, and he could see why. She was garbed in a simple robe which only reached to her knees. It might have been longer, but he noticed the hem was ripped and torn. The dress itself was splattered with mud and some curious dark stains Shuei said appeared to be blood. Barefoot and bare armed, her skin was extremely pale, has though the conditions outside and the cold had somehow possessed her limbs and yielded this almost ethereal flesh. Her hair was shoulder length and ragged, as though it had been growing unkempt for a while; however, it was thick and wavy, he was sure she would look nice if it was cut, waves of it threatened to engulf her small face when she gazed at the floor. It was a dark color, he couldn't tell from the dim candle light in the room, but it appeared to be black, almost the color of the blackberries the monks picked in the summer. Underneath the dark mop of hair, her eyes seemed to glow with an unearthly light; their coloring was such a brilliant blue. But what such him the struck as odd was her necklace; more like a collar than a necklace, one which had a thick metal ring attached to the middle. He didn't know for sure, but he had a feeling that a chain must have been linked to it. He slowly began to pay attention to his masters and Shuei's conversation again."

"I see…….so her mother lives at the bottom of the mountain?"

"Yes, but she didn't appear to be concerned we found her daughter wandering alone in the middle of a thunderstorm. The most concerned she seemed to be was when she asked me, 'Is she dead?' "

"Well, while it appears the girl would be much better off here, we must return her to her mother. Kouryou, would you like to-"

"NO!"

All three of them immediately turned their attentions to the reason for the outburst; the young girl, who now clutched Shuei's robes. The Sanzo priest gazed at the young girl in wonder.

"Shuei?"

"Um……yes Master?"

"I thought you said she couldn't talk."

"Well,……..I assumed she couldn't. She didn't the entire time we were in the courtyard. As a matter of fact, this is the first time she's said anything."

The young girl lurched forward and promptly fell into her knees, apparently from the cold in her legs. She sobbed silently and kept her gaze level with Master Koumyou's feet.

"Please, please sir, don't make me go back there. My mother……..I just don't want to go back…..She hates me and…" Her small voice trailed off into sobs at that point. Shuei raised his gaze to his master's.

"Master, perhaps we could keep her here? If her mother did not want her that is."

"Yes…………that seems appropriate."

Shuei and nodded and left at once; assumingly to persuade the girl's mother to allow her to stay at the temple. Koumyou turned his attention to his young star pupil.

"Kouryou, would you mind helping her? Take her to dry off and let her borrow a robe; she looks like she's freezing."

Kouryou nodded and watched as his master bent down and picked the girl the up to stand on her feet. He smiled at her, which caused her sobs to gradually subside into mere hiccups and tears.

"There now, little one. This is Kouryou, he is going to help you. He'll let you dry off and get some warm clothes on. It looks as if you'll be staying with us a while, but don't worry; you'll be fine. Do you have a name?"

The young girl hiccupped and wiped tears off her face.

"My….it's Rayne, sir."

Master Koumyou smiled at the irony of her name and nodded before standing up. Kouryou took this as his cue and gently grabbed the girl's hand.

"Come with me, I'll help you to get dry, ok?"

Through the tears still streaming down her cheeks, the girl managed to smile at him; which caused him to blush clear down to his toes. As they left the room to get her cleaned up, Kouryou could have sworn he could have heard his master chuckling.

_end flashback_

* * *

And that was when all of this shit started. He sighed. He couldn't really be mad at _her, _but he was curious to know what in the seven hells that damn hag had in store for him. Stupid goddess, she was always in his business, and he didn't want her dragging the girl into it. He was starting to wish he hadn't even walked into that stupid alley anyway.

"How's your cheek?"

He snapped his head to the right to find that Rayne was standing not two feet from him. Her pale skin was shocking against the backdrop of darkness; her blue eyes staring at him somewhat inquisitively. Regaining his composure, he took a puff off his cigarette. "It's fine; except for the fact that it feels like someone slapped the shit out of me."

She nodded and bent forward, apparently doing something he couldn't make out. When she stood up, he could make out the faint red dot of the end of a cigarette. He smirked.

"And when exactly did the "temple princess" start smoking?"

He couldn't make out her face completely, but he had the sneaking suspicion she was glaring at him. This made him actually think about laughing at her. Of course, she would hit him again.

"About the same time you left."

He simply stared at her; his face showing no emotion. However, his mind was reeling. He knew that she was upset. Who wouldn't be? Hell, he was a tight-ass and he knew she was upset. However, he couldn't believe her composure. A normal woman, going on Gojyo's experience with women, would have either broken down or proceeded to pummel the shit out of him. But she was acting calm and collected, almost like……….

'_Me. She's acting exactly like I would. Reserved, emotionless…never let your enemies see you're weak. She thinks I'm her enemy.'_

If the girl had an inkling as to what his thoughts were, she didn't show it. Instead, she simply folded her arms across her rather endowed chest and frowned. He blinked; he had never realized how much her frowns both added to and marred her beauty. And for some odd reason, he couldn't convince himself to stop staring at her.

"Why are you staring at me like that, priest? Aren't you supposed to be celibate or something?"

That brought him back. He though about snapping a comeback at her, but he found himself saying something far different.

"Rayne……I didn't know you were here."

She blinked in confusion; she was obviously was caught off guard by his comment. She stepped towards him.

"What? What do you mean?"

He sighed. He might as well tell her; if the hag was planning on involving both of them, he wouldn't want her to be caught off guard. _'Better to know about the fall before someone pushes you off the cliff.'_

"The Merciful Goddess sent me here. Damn hag……she told me someone would be here, she didn't say who. Believe me; if I knew it was you, I wouldn't have come."

He was about to say something else when he was cut off by something he was dreading; Rayne yelling.

"I don't care who sent you here! I don't care if you knew that I was here, Kouryou! What I want to know is….."

She stopped and seemed to compose herself. She turned away and sighed.

"What I want to know is…………do you _care _that I'm here?"

He was stunned. She actually wanted to know what he cared about; even after what he did to her. He was so caught off-guard by her question, he couldn't think of logical answer. She sighed.

"Dinner is ready. I will see you inside."

With that, she left him outside, in the cold. But to the blonde priest, the temperature outside couldn't compare to the ice in his own heart.

* * *

A . N :sniffs: Sanzo's getting sentimental...

**Sanzo: I am not.**

**BH: You are if I say you are. I own you!**

**Sanzo: No, Kazuya Minekura owns me.**

**BH:grumbles: Yeah, well I own the version of you in this story and that version has to do whatever I type. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!**

**Sanzo:sweatdrops: Ok...whatever you say. Please, everyone read the next chapter.. Please...**

**BH: Seriously, I don't own Saiyuki or anything related to the story...wish I did...**


	9. Ch 9: Violent Dispute

'_This is awkward…….'_

Hakkai sat opposite of Ina at the dinner table. To the right were Gojyo and Goku, the receptionist and Jana. To his left were Sanzo and a young raven-haired woman he took to be Sanzo's fiancé, for she glared at the blonde monk with a vengeance. He took into account that for all appearances, the girl's expression rattled Sanzo. Silently, he watched as his friend ate quietly, except for the occasional smart remark shot at the two men on the other side of Hakkai. The young green-eyed man turned his attention to the girl. Since the food had arrived, she had given up shooting dagger-looks at Sanzo. Instead, she ate quickly and gracefully, as though afraid that something would happen if she didn't. Lost in his own musing, he quickly found why she was eating so fast.

"Rayne! You lazy girl!"

The kitchen door burst open; followed by an older woman stumbling into the room, waving what appeared to be a frying pan. She stumbled and swayed, apparently drunk. As Hakkai watched the woman carefully; his attention was pulled back to the table as the young girl quickly rose to her feet, knocking over a water pitcher in the process. Her face was a mask of anger and terror; as her hands shook, as she clinched them into the fabric of her dress.

"I'm sorry; I won't do it again I"

"You lazy whore! You can't even clean a pot!"

The woman spit the words and flung the pan towards her oldest daughter, who threw herself against the wall to avoid it. The four men were on their feet in an instant. Hakkai perceived movement out of the corner of his eye; he turned to see Ina pulling Jana towards her, shielding her from the violence. As he wondered how they should protect the other girls so that they wouldn't be harmed, a shriek of pain pulled him to his senses. He turned back to the scene behind him in time to see the woman grasp a hand full of her daughter's hair and begin shaking the girl; her other hand busy slapping the girl across the face. The young woman screamed and twisted, trying to free herself from her mother's grip. Hakkai lurched forward, not knowing what he was going to do but knowing that somehow he had to stop the woman, when a shot rang out. The entire room froze as Sanzo lowered the gun to become level with the older woman's head.

"Let her go. Now. Unless you want to have another hole in your head, Anni."

For what seemed like a century, the older woman stood there, her daughter trembling from what Hakkai took to be fright. Finally, she released the girl, who stumbled and ran to her sisters. The woman, Anni, stumbled and looked the priest dead in the eye.

"So, it's you. Come to take her back, ey? Well, take her, I couldn't care less! Take the whore for all I care, take all of them!"

She turned and stumbled up the stairs. As soon as she was out of earshot, the youngest girl, Jana, burst into sobs and hugged her older sister Enoki around the waist. Rayne sobbed silently and sank to her knees. As she raised her hands to her face, Hakkai noticed a faint line on each wrist, like a scar.

'_A suicide attempt? But she's so young……'_

He walked across the room and bent down in front of her. He wasn't surprised that Gojyo had said she was "hot" to use the red-head's word. Her long black hair was mussed, from her mother's fit, but that didn't take away from her beauty. Her deep cobalt blue eyes were shadowed by a thick fringe of lashes, which shot up as he approached. She watched him warily, her eyes red. His eyes met hers and he gently put a hand on her arm.

"Are you all right?"

For a moment it seemed she was ignoring him. Then, she slowly nodded and wiped her face.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. My mother, she…….resents me. She resents all of us. But……"

She gazed over at Sanzo, who had reloaded his gun and was now staring at the two of them in the corner.

"She especially resents him. For leaving me here with her."

* * *

**Author's Note: It got depressing real quick...**

**Sanzo: Yes, yes it did. **

**BH: I don't feel like arguing. I'm too saddened now... : goes and retrieves some chocolate from the fridge: This will help.**


	10. Ch 10: Confrontation

The blonde stared across the table at the young woman seated there. Although her face was marked and red from her mother's hand and her own screaming, he was mildly surprised to find that she wasn't crying. Except for the few short moments after Anni left the room, she hadn't shed a single tear throughout the entire incident.

Almost as if she was used to it.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he had to suppress the rage boiling up inside him. To think that she had been forced to endure this kind of treatment after he left was almost too much for even him to bear.

Tapping out his cigarette, he watched as the youngest sister brought a cup and set it in front of the woman. The pig-tailed girl smiled sadly.

"Here Raynie….Ina said it'll help your throat….."

The young woman nodded slowly and leaned forward, wrapping her delicate fingers around the mug. She stared into the light brown liquid and sighed softly. "Thanks, Jana."

The younger girl smiled, apparently happy that her act of kindness had worked. She retreated back to her seat beside Goku, who was showing her how to make a duck out of a napkin. Satisfied that both the girl and the monkey were properly occupied, the monk turned his attention back to the raven-haired girl. She delicately sipped at the tea, her attention riveted to the center of the table. Sighing, he was in the middle of lighting another cigarette when the middle sister descended from the stairs, where she apparently had confronted their mother. However, instead of checking on her sibling, she strode over to Sanzo and gazed down at his lanky form. Forgoing the cigarette, he turned his gaze up to meet hers.

"What is it?"

The girl bowed her head and fiddled with the bottom of her shirt. Apparently she was having a bit of difficulty with what she came to tell him.

"Please, Sanzo; my……Anni wants a word with you…"

Quickly she waved her hands for him to stop as he rose from the chair. "No, no, no, you don't have to go talk to her. She's drunk, she'll probably just pass out soon and then—"

The monk held up a hand, causing her to halt in mid-sentence. He shook his head once; he glanced over at Rayne, would was still staring into the depths of her tea mug.

"No, I want to talk to the woman." He brushed past her and started up the stairs.

"There are a few things that we need to discuss."

Enoki whirled around and watched him with a worried look. As he disappeared upstairs, she sank into his chair and covered her face with her hands. Worried, Gojyo crossed the floor and bent down in front of her.

"Hey beautiful. What's going on?"

He laid a reassuring hand on her leg and spoke softly. He knew the woman was upset over her sister's treatment. Hell, he had half a mind to storm upstairs and give the mother a thing or two. However, he felt that his and Hakkai's assistance was needed down in the dining room. His gut feeling was confirmed when the woman in front of him lowered her hands to reveal the tears streaming down her face.

"He's going to kill her. He's going to kill her, Gojyo."

Taking her by the hand, he helped her up and led her into the living room. There, he stood in front of her and sighed.

"Noki, what exactly do you mean? I know that he's angry, but—"

She gulped a breath and began sobbing. Without a second thought, he pulled her to him. "Noki…"

"I…I h—hate her for wh—wha—what she did t-t-t-to Rayne b-b-but…she's my m-m-mo-mother…"

Unable to continue talking, she simply sobbed into his shoulder. He rubbed her shoulders, sighing. How could she know that he knew exactly what she meant? His mother…..his stepmother, Jien's mother. She had hated him, beat him, and spurned him. But still, he still felt deep down that somehow it was his fault; that she would have loved him it he hadn't been a horrible kid. And he endured it, endured all of the pain and hate until that day. Until Jien stopped it all. He had endured it.

Because she was his mother.

Because even after all the beatings, he still wanted to believe that she loved him. He knew the pain and suffering of the girl in his arms. Because it was his suffering too. Biting back his own tears, he concentrated on comforting her; knowing that Enoki's claim of Sanzo murdering their mother might be the truth.

* * *

As soon as the door to the mother's room shut behind him, Sanzo was plunged into darkness. Standing stock still, he blinked until his eyes adjusted. Finally he was able to make out two things; a fireplace was burning across from him, detracting from the darkness he originally thought to be in. And two, the room was somewhat smaller than he imagined a bedroom would be. Stepping forward, he surveyed the room as he went. Nothing unusual on the wall, just normal pictures; family vacations, the girls when they were younger. Continuing forward, he eventually reached the fireplace and the mantle above it. There, he let is eyes roam across the mantle, uninterested. So he didn't immediately notice the picture.

_The picture!_

At first glance, it seemed like every other photo in the room; a group shot, with plenty of smiling faces. However, this photo had no frame to display it; instead, it simply leaned against its fellow frame, seemingly lost among them. It was older than the rest, worn and dog-eared. Sanzo let his eyes and mind drift over the photo, taking no real interest in it until the flames in the fireplace grew, casting the photo into a brighter and harsh light; allowing him to see the picture's occupants.

There were four people in the picture; two men and two children. Studying the photograph, he knew the two men as Koumyou Sanzo, his master and father figure; and Shuei, his old friend who lost his soul to a cursed talisman. Glancing further down, he easily recognized one of the children himself; when he was a young boy and still went by the name Kouryou, or River Rat. Almost as afraid, he let his eyes slide over to the other child; a little girl.

_Rayne._

There she stood, the girl from his flashbacks and nightmares. The girl who had grown into the tormented, broken woman who was seated in the dining room below. She was dressed in a robe similar to his in the picture; her hair held away from her face by a simple cherry blossom behind one ear. A large, garish collar adorned her neck; with a large silver ring on which he knew a chain was once attached. Her eyes, a brilliant cobalt blue, stared at him from within the photo; almost boring through him as he stumbled back, his mind racing. His vision swam; forcing him to recall everything that had happened.

The day he left.

_**Waking in the morning. Sneaking out of the bed and dressing swiftly; glancing over at her sleeping form before he left the room. Packing as quietly as possible. Realizing even as he picked the bag up and opened the door that he had made a mistake; trying to sneak past her, her of all people! She was the most powerful priestess he had ever known; her who awoke from a dead sleep as soon as his body heat dissolved beside her. He fled, leaving the door wide open as he heard the noise he feared; her footsteps; the sounds of her dainty feet pounding down the hallway overhand; paired with her sleep-laced and melodious voice. **_

_**"Kouryou. Kouryou! Come back!"**_

_**Out of the house she ran, clad in only a scant nightgown which barely skimmed her knees; a gown he remember buying her on a shopping spree which seemed small and distant now. She spun violently around in circles, in vain; searching her surroundings for some sign of him; her hair, so short then, she had cut it boyishly short in order to pass for the monk the villagers took her to be; her hair flew into her eyes and she brushed it, scratched at it furiously to clear her line of vision. She stood; stock still, staring at the horizon; she sunk to her knees, grasping the grass in both hands and whispering his name over and over again. "Kouryou, kouryou, kouryou..." She fell into silent crying; her body heaving. And he; he had watched all of this from the tree on the hill behind the house; his fist shoved in his mouth; sobbing. He had thought himself grown even then; but yet when he cared for nothing else, not simple pleasures nor food nor wine nor women; he sobbed like a little boy for this creature; this girl who was a woman but yet a child, who loved him entirely and wholly so that when he left, her soul was ripped apart.**_

Shaking his head, he stared at the photo; delirious.

"I know who you are."

He jumped; whirling to face the source of the voice. He blinked as the old woman arose from her chair in the shadows. Perturbed that she had spooked him, he spoke as calmly as possible. "Lots of people know that, Grandma; lots of people know who I am. Besides, I think we already established that downstairs. What I want to know is: who the hell do you think you are?"

She simply folded her arms.

"You are Kouryou, the star pupil and adoptive son of Koumyou Sanzo. You are the boy who became his successor. You are the boy that survived the massacre at the temple. And you are the boy who grew into the man who broke my daughter's heart."

He stepped away from the mantle and towards her, causing her to take step back.

"Is that what you're angry at? What, do you take out your anger at me on her? On all of those girls?"

She shook head and laughed bitterly. "You wouldn't understand. You of all people. You left her to rot, to die here, in this place. You left her here with me, knowing full well that I didn't want her. Nobody wants her, don't you get it! Even you don't want her, why would you leave her then, leave her when you promised to stay, for her to follow and go, to—"

She was cut off by the slap of his hand across her face.

"You listen to me, you old hag. I may have left her here with you. Forgive me for feeling that she would be safe with her own mother. But I didn't abandon her, no matter what you think. And I don't believe she feels like I did. And know this: I'm not about to make the same mistake again."

Not waiting for an answer, he turned and left the room, leaving the older woman alone in the dark, as she had been ever since her daughter came home.

* * *

**BH: Sorry for not updating sooner! I've got four stories running at one time (two here and two on so I've been busy. Maybe I'll get all of them finished one of these days...**


	11. Ch 11: Resolution

**Author's Note: Look, I've updated! **

**: Throws confetti :**

**Ok, enough with that. For future reference, some parts of this chapter, including the beginning, is flashbacks and memories. It's a little glimpse into Sanzo and Rayne's past. That way, everybody else will know what the hell is going on (or at least understand their little mental problems). Anyways, enjoy! - BH**

* * *

_Kouryou stood waiting patiently as the young girl his master had rescued dried off._

_'Rayne, that's your name, right? That's funny, seeing as how Master Koumyou found you in a thunderstorm. It must be something about him; rescuing two orphans from the water. Two drowned rats; that's what we are.'_

* * *

_A young girl scrubbed furiously at a spot on the temple. Her face was caked with soot and sweat from cleaning the fire pit over an hour ago. So absorbing was her task that she didn't even notice the footsteps behind her._

_'Hey! Demon-girl! Why can't you do your chores right, huh? I want you to lick that floor clean!'_

_The cleric who spoke in such harsh tones drew his foot back and kicked the girl square in the stomach; knocking her a few feet. He closed the distance between them and smirked as he saw her lip was bleeding; dripping onto the floor._

_'You better clean that up too.'_

_Instead of defending herself, the child simply lay there; pained and afraid to move. Her lip continued to bleed onto the front of her ragged robe._

_'I said CLEAN IT UP, YOU LAZY FREAK!'_

_He drew back again, ready to kick; when suddenly a sharp pain shot up his other leg as a blunt object collided with it._

_Falling to his knees, he whirled around to come face to face with Kouryou, Master Koumyou's star pupil. The boy held a broom in his hand, which he had obviously cracked the monk in the kneecaps with._

_'Leave her alone. Believe me; beating up a little girl isn't something to brag about. If you don't leave her alone, I'll inform Master Koumyou.'_

_He raised the broom to strike the man again; but fortunately didn't have to fall through with his threat. Startled, the monk picked himself up off the floor and fled the room._

_Kouryou dropped the broom and ran to Rayne, helping her to sit up. He gently wiped the blood off her lip._

_'He's gone now. I won't let him do that again, I promise.'_

_He painfully gazed at his friend's disturbing expression. Her face remained blank, yet a stream of tears coursed silently down her face. He put his arms around her and hugged her tightly; attempting to sooth her._

_'I promise, Rayne. When we grow up, you'll never have to suffer like this again.'_

* * *

_Shuei stood with Kouryou out on the deck of the temple as rain poured ominously outside. A flash of lightning brilliantly lit up the face of the young monk standing beside him; but Shuei didn't need to see his friend's face to know he was troubled. He waited patiently, until the boy was ready to speak._

_'I can't stand the way they treat her, Shuei. I can withstand the jeers and names they call me, but her...they treat her worse than me. Making her do all the heavy chores; calling her demon spawn and mongrel. She's not even a half-breed, but since she lives with us they call her that. She doesn't deserve it; not someone like her. When we're grown up, I'll make sure no one ever treats her like that again. I'll never let her suffer again.'_

* * *

_Kouryou stood sweeping the temple yard as Rayne came boiling out of the temple, nearing knocking him over in the process. He didn't have to wait long to find out what she was excited about._

_'Kouryou; Master Koumyou says my mother has contacted him saying that she wants to see me! She says everything'll be different now and I can come live at home again! And she says all my sisters want to see me too! Shuei's going to take me to see them today. Want to go? Oh, I want you to meet them! Please!'

* * *

_

The sight of the blonde monk finally descending from upstairs brought a sigh of relief to Ina. Her relief was short-lived, however, as she saw the cooling anger reflected in his eyes. She jumped to her feet and met him halfway as he strode across the room. His eyes calmly surveyed the room while Ina desperately tried to get some answers out of him.

"Sanzo, please…..Miss Anni, is she…?"

"Where is she?"

The dark-haired girl stopped in mid-sentence as confusion related to the priest's question washed over her. "W-What? What do you mean?"

Sanzo let his eyes rove over the group in the dining room once more before settling his gaze once more on the girl in front of him. Irritation and another emotion, one which Ina identified as worry, marred his expression. Although the irritation was more prominent than the worry. "I mean Rayne. Where is she?" He retrieved his lighter and cigarette while he waited for a response. Lighting one, he returned to staring at Ina.

The young woman blinked a few times and lowered her gaze. Apparently, being stared at intently made her nervous. "She's….she's……um……."

"She's on the roof."

A voice to his right caused Sanzo to shift his gaze to Enoki, who was seated on the counter. She took a puff off her cigarette and gestured to the ceiling. Something in her nonchalant attitude made Sanzo think Rayne pulled this stunt quite often.

"And why exactly is she on the roof?"

The emerald-haired girl shrugged. "I dunno. She goes up there a lot when…..things like this happen." She became rather interested in stubbing out her cigarette as she spoke the latter part of the sentence. Hakkai, who was seated beside Ina, spoke up next.

"So, this sort of thing happens often? Your mother and Rayne getting into a fight?"

Enoki nodded and shrugged at the same time, still unwilling to meet anybody's eyes.

"Yeah, it does. Mother'll come home drunk and start yelling at me, or Ina, or Jana, and Rayne'll jump in and tell her off. So she hits her. It's gotten worse lately, you know. Rayne's gotten to where she won't put up with anything from Mom, so……." She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. She hopped off the counter and turned to face the window, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Ina took up the slack in the story.

"She's been hitting Raynie more often. Sometimes she hits her because Rayne won't let her hit Jana or Noki. Or me. But sometimes, when Rayne's not here…." She hung her head. "Sometimes she hits us anyway. But usually it's only because we sassed her." She added the last quickly, as though defending the woman. A hand on her shoulder quickly dispelled any thought of defending Anni, however. Hakkai spoke softly to her, but she could hear the sadness in his voice.

"That is no excuse. She shouldn't strike any of you, and I'm sure that none of you could say anything so horrible that it would call for such violence like we just witnessed. Please, don't ever blame yourself for what she's done. Her actions are unjustified." His green eyes reflected an almost pleading sadness as he spoke to her. Ina, unable to speak for fear she would begin to cry, simply nodded.

"But Rayne's the one who bears the brunt of it. She the oldest so Mom goes after her." Enoki spoke suddenly, turning back to face them. Silence settled over the group. Gojyo put his arm around Enoki to comfort her, while Hakkai kept a reassuring hand on Ina's shoulder. It was Sanzo who finally broke the silence.

"Where are Janachi and Goku?"

Ina gestured to the corner of the room, where the youngest Shuichi sister and the monkey were sleeping peacefully. "They've been asleep for about an hour now. Should I wake them?"

The blonde nodded once and turned to Gojyo. "Get them up and awake. And the rest of you, start packing." With that, he started back up the stairs. Worry flitted across the water-sprite's face for about a half a second, but then he was across the dining room and poking the young man asleep on the floor with his boot.

"Wake up, you stupid chimp!"

* * *

_Kouryou, now a young man and known as Genjyo Sanzo, stood outside of his house watching the figure of the young woman standing in his yard. Rain poured from the sky, drenching the both of them, yet neither moved. The young woman's hair was cut short, like a man's, and she wore a monk's robe. She stood only a few feet from him, but the torrential downpour made visibility minimum at best. And yet, even all the rain couldn't mask the fact that she was crying. It took all he could not to break down and cry himself. What was she doing here? Why? She shouldn't be here at all. Millions of things raced through his mind, and in light of the current situation, he did what he thought was best: he tried to push her away. Make her leave, so she doesn't get hurt._

"_What in the hell are you doing here, Rayne?" _

_The young woman took a faltering step towards him and clutched at the collar of her robes. Her tears flowed freely, but that didn't impair her voice._

_'I followed you from the temple, Kou! It's my dad, he's...'_

_She looked down; pained and frightened. It was possible she had risked everything coming here. To come here for what might be nothing. Of course, she would never be sure if she didn't take a chance now._

_'He died, Kou. In an attack on the temple. Demons, they were looking for the Maten scripture.' _

_She stared at him, waiting for him to speak; waiting for a sign of comfort from him that would assure her everything she had done wasn't for nothing. His stomach gave a sickening lurch when he realized what she wanted, he couldn't give her. Not if he was going to push her away. He would have to make her hate him._

_He gave an uncaring shrug, as if to say 'And, your point is…?'_

_'I know. What's that got to do with me?'_

_She snapped her head up and regarded him with a mixture of shock and betrayal. He couldn't have made her feel more desolate if he had walked over and slapped her. Of course, he should have counted on the fact that the woman usually recovered quickly. Before he could blink, or put his arms up to push her away, at least physically, she had stumbled over and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Unable to move, he was forced to stare her dead in the face and witness the struggle between determination and desolation in her eyes. She wanted more than anything for him to understand and comfort her. She didn't want to process the scathing apathy in his voice a few moments ago. Because if she acknowledged the fact that he no longer cared, she would simply be forced to give up. If she did not have him, she no longer had anything. Nothing, not even her own mother, was as vital to her reason for living as the man standing in front of her. When he rejected her, she would shut down._

_'Let me stay with you! You said anywhere you went, I could go. I want to be with you!'_

_He tried his best not to be overwhelmed by the grief emanating from the woman in front of him. The raw emotions that laced her words had cut him clean to his soul. In her eyes he could see her will to go on hanging on the edge. Their entire childhood they had always had each other. Now that her father and Master Koumyou were gone, **all** they had was each other. And after all that had happened in their lives, when she lost the last person keeping her at that place, the temple were so much tragedy had happened, she had sought him out. The one person she could count on to keep her sanity intact. And now he was forced to make a decision to keep her with him (and admit he did actually have feelings) or to push her away and possibly break this fragile girl he had worked so hard to protect all his life. As he watched a fresh bought of tears begin to fall, he realized he couldn't leave her alone again. Not after all she had been through. He didn't think he could do that to her, or to himself. However, __he would have to make it clear that it didn't matter to him whether she stayed or went. That way, she might not be so inclined to stay with him once she found firm footing somewhere else. He would rather she left him eventually rather staying with him out of some kind of twisted sense of need._

_''Well, I'm not stopping you! Be with me then, see if I care!'_

_He pushed her away and strode towards the house, not waiting to see if she followed. He didn't slow down until he was well inside. There, he headed for the bedroom to fetch a towel for him and her. It wasn't until he had wiped most of the water off his face and hair that he realized some of the wetness on his face was tears. _

_Outside, a young woman stared through the veil of rain at the house that would be her home for the next three years. And to the man inside, waiting for her, she spoke three words so softly that even she barely heard them._

_'Fine; I will.'

* * *

_

_(Jump.)_

The raven-haired girl laughed as the comment swam through her mind. A short, bitter laugh.

Jump, right.

In reality, being dead might actually solve of her problems. But her entire life had revolved around surviving, and she wasn't about to give up that way of life simply because she was having a crappy day.

_(Running into a pack of demons on the way home, finding you long-lost fiancé and being beaten by your drunken mother is your idea of a crappy day? Damn, you're getting conditioned, girl. Haha, all in a day's work. Maybe tomorrow you'll get hit by a train and mobbed in the alley!)_

She rolled her eyes as yet another argument started in her head. "Oh, shut it."

"Talking to the voices again?"

Whirling around, she came face to face with the source of her seven years of sleepless nights. She gave a sarcastic snort and turned her back to him, staring out over the sleeping city around her.

"What should I do? Bow down to the infamous Genjyo Sanzo? Sorry, but I have a strong distaste for monks. Not my type, you know."

"This coming from somebody who pretended to be a monk for three years? Don't tell me you've changed your spots."

"Yeah, well; big mistake on my part. See, I did it to be with a person I thought I cared about."

A faint flicking noise brought her attention back to him, just in time to see the red dot of a cigarette end appear out of thin air. "You know those things are going to kill you."

The blonde monk ignored her, instead opting to close the distance between them. He came to stand beside her by the roof's edge and regarded her coolly over the cigarette now hanging from his lips. "In that case, I should probably smoke two."

The woman beside him put her hands on her hips. "Don't tell me the priest made a joke!"

He took a puff off the cigarette and turned his attention to the town below them. "Actually, I thought it would be doing you a favor. Considering you keep looking at me like you want to kill me."

The ensuing silence told him that, like so many times in their youth, he had gotten the fiery woman riled up. He attempted to keep a smirk off his face at that thought. Rather, he preferred to enjoy the silence while it lasted. Shuichi Rayne wasn't known for being quiet for long periods of time. Much to his irritation. For a few moments they simply stood there, silently contemplating the scenery before them. However, a weary sigh from his left broke him out of his thought process.

"So, I take it that you didn't come all the way up here just to smoke a cigarette and share a friendly jabbing contest with me."

He was silent, smoking his cigarette instead of answering her query. Although it didn't show on the outside, Genjyo Sanzo was having a very conflicting internal struggle. On the one hand, telling her what he originally came up here to tell her would mean:

He would have to admit, on some level, that he had some kind of concern for her safety.

Playing along with the Merciful Goddess's little scheme to amuse herself. Leave it to the hag to find the one thing which could possibly show a tear in the shell he constantly put himself in.

On the other hand, he could turn around, go back downstairs, turn in for the night and leave this whole thing behind him when they left in the morning. Just act unfazed, calm and rational as he always was. It shouldn't be that hard, after all: he hadn't seen the girl (_woman, he mentally added) _in over seven years, so why the hell should he give a damn about her?

_(You know why, so stop lying to yourself)_

Without realizing a conscious choice, he felt himself asking a question which echoed to him over the years from a time that seemed eons ago.

"What the hell are you doing here, Rayne?"

She seemed surprised by his question. She turned to fix him in a hollow, dull gaze; her eyes lacking any signs of life. "What do you mean? I thought it was obvious I worked here."

Sanzo gritted his teeth. If it was one thing he and the woman in front of him had in common, it was sarcastic wit. Unfortunately, the monk was not in a witty mood.

"Don't be goddamned smart-ass. You know what in the hell I meant: why do you stick around this shit hole?"

His words didn't even ignite a response in her eyes. Instead, she shrugged wearily and sighed. "Don't know. Food's great and the pay's good. What's it to you?"

He was struck dumb for a moment, his mind racing. He couldn't fathom how his childhood friend, (she of the extreme hotheadness, bouts of insanity, and speaking her mind) could turn into this cold, broken, unresponsive woman in front of him. It was like she had lost even the most primal form of emotions.

_(Is this what I'm like?)_

The thought crept into his subconscious like a vapor, a wisp of realization just out of reach. However, he didn't have time to contemplate his outlook on life at the moment. Determined to get something, any kind of response from her _(before I shoot her for annoying me so damned much)_ he reached out, grabbed both shoulders and shook her like hell.

"Damn you. Stop feigning idiocy and listen to what I'm asking you! Why in the hell do you stay here, taking beatings from your dead beat mother and serving beer to drunks who want nothing better than to pinch your ass everyday! Why are you degrading yourself? Answer me!"

_(There.)_

He saw it: a spark. Her entire body roared to life with a fire he hadn't seen before. He couldn't get his hands away fast enough apparently; she gripped his wrists and flung them away from her. Breathing hard, her eyes glinting in the darkness around them like sapphires, she let loose a barrage of emotions that had engulfed her for almost a decade.

"What in the hell am I suppose to do, huh? Tell me, you pompous ass! How dare you, how dare you come back into my life when I haven't heard a fucking peep since you left and try to tell me how much my life is screwed up and how to change it! Don't you think I'd like to?

My little sister cries herself to sleep at night because she had to doctor my wounds after mom slaps me around for an hour. My other sisters get tired of having to clean up after our mother when she passes out in the kitchen. The only way they get fed is if I work and take care of the bills, because our mother's either passed out or too damned messed up to handle it. I can't even feel my ass at the end of the day because it's been pinched so much. But you make it sound like it's so easy to just leave it all behind! What about Jana, Enoki and Ina? Why should I leave them here to be treated the same way I am!

And where do you get off telling me how to live my life! Like yours is so much better. And don't give me that 'I'm cool and collected secretly wounded' bullshit. You're not so fricking special. My teacher died to, you know! And unlike you, I stayed there and watched that temple rot around me, while you went off on some gallant quest to find his murderers. But you're good at that, leaving people. You left me then and you left me seven years ago so why in the hell are you giving a shit now? Why don't you just do what you're good at: leave. Forget about me and let me handle my god damned life myself! God damn you!"

He stood there and let her explode, pushing him and scratching at him until her throat became too hoarse to yell and tears threatened to break her voice. Exhausted, she slumped against wall bordering the roof's edge. It wasn't until he was sure she had completely run out of steam did he even attempt to answer her.

"You can come with us."

She gave him a weary look. "I just told you, I can't leave the—"

"Bring them with you. You can all come."

His response issued silence from her. She sat there, regarding him with a mixture of disbelief and hope etched across her face. He waited patiently while she mulled it over. Finally, she spoke in a broken, cautious voice.

"Are you sure you're all right with that?"

Something clicked in his head, and he immediately fell to his conditioned response: not caring. Even at the same time he was trying to protect this woman, his guard kept him from letting himself become attached to her. He shrugged indifferently and turned away from her.

"I couldn't care less what in the hell—"

"You bastard."

Her voice was slow low he didn't catch her response to begin with. But it didn't take long to figure out what she was talking about.

In and instant, she was up and stalking towards him. Grabbing him by the collar of his robe, she forced him to look at her. He tried to push her away, partly because he was actually uncomfortable being in close proximity to her, but to no avail. Her words were low, but every one of the struck a chord in him.

"Don't you do this to me again. You're trying to put all of this off on me and act like it was my idea to trail behind you. Like to it doesn't affect you in any way whether I go or not. You're not doing it again, not like last time. God damn you; look me in the eye and tell me you want me with you or go to hell!"

Sanzo was transported back to a time, seven years ago, when he faced her in the same situation. He read the same desperation and desolation in her eyes that was there on that rainy day. But even through all that, he was fighting to maintain indifference.

_'Let me stay with you! You said anywhere you went, I could go. I want to be with you!'_

The words of what seemed like another lifetime came slamming into his mind like a sharp fragment of glass. He winced as the pain he left that day, the pain of watching her face contort when she realized he didn't care about her, sliced through him. No matter how damned collected he tried to act, deep down within him he knew she wouldn't survive him doing that to her again.

He wouldn't survive it, either.

Forcing himself to appear calm and rational, he regarded with a level, almost cool gaze. "Fine. I………..it doesn't bother me."

For what seemed like eternity, she simply stared at him. Then, she dropped her hands from his collar. He stiffened, still aware of the fact that she was practically nose-to-nose with him (or actually, nose to forehead). She shook her head and moved around him, headed for the door which lead inside. She paused after it.

"I suppose that will do for now," she quipped, before stalking back inside, leaving the blonde-haired monk to wonder why his heart was beating so fast.

* * *

**BH: Whoooo-hooo! That's the longest chapter I've ever written, folks! And it's only that long because I wanted to be nice and not leave you guys with a major cliff hanger. Plus, my trusty co-worker has to read all of my work beforehand, so I made it ultra long just to annoy him. But anyways, R&R!**

**Sanzo: (glares at BH over his glasses) This is giving me a headache…**


	12. Ch 12: Dissention

Gojyo glanced up as the blonde monk once again descended the stairs alone. He stood from his seat beside Hakkai as Sanzo approached. It wasn't hard to see the young blonde was distracted and tense.

"Hey man, where's Rayne?"

Sanzo turned his attention to lighting a cigarette before answering him. "She's checking on her sisters. Are they packing?"

Gojyo nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but Hakkai beat him to it. Standing beside his crimson haired friend, he asked a question that both of them were dying to know the answer to.

"Yes, they are. Sanzo, what exactly are you planning to do?"

The monk paced the length of the room a few times silently. It occurred to Gojyo that he had never seen the man this troubled over something, save for the incident with Kami-sama. It was disturbing, to say the least. Finally, he stopped his infernal pacing and spoke.

"We're taking them with us."

Silence followed.

"What the hell? Dude, you can't do that!"

Gojyo had to restrain from saying anything else. It didn't make any sense, what Sanzo was saying. This wasn't like the priest at all! He realized that Sanzo might for once be acting on emotional instinct rather than logic, and he couldn't blame him completely. After all, it was taking all his will power to keep from running upstairs and demanding that Enoki come with him to someplace safe, someplace away from her mother. But he knew it was impossible to do. Going with them certainly wouldn't be any safer for the girls. He wanted to tell the blonde this, but couldn't find the words to explain. Thankfully, Hakkai took over speaking from there.

"I understand how you feel Sanzo; but really, do you honestly think that traveling with us is the best solution? We're being pursued ruthlessly by demons every day, and the danger increases the closer we get to India. That's not the best environment to take four young women into. They are certainly at risk staying here, but being with us won't be any safer. I not even sure that we would be able to protect them…."

"That's not true!"

Both men were shocked as the monk slammed his palms down on the table. Never before had they seen him so livid about something. A muscle in his jaw twitched as his eyes glinted angrily in the light.

"I could protect her if I just tried! Don't you people get it? I can't leave her again; not after what Anni did. I've got to take her with me, not matter what!" He gripped the table so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"She's not going to die because of me…."

Hakkai stared at his friend in earnest, finding the fact that Sanzo was obviously talking about Rayne rather than all girls. "I will admit that Anni is not the model for a mother, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't kill her daughters. She isn't evil, just misguided."

"……….That's not it."

'_I am gravely serious, Sanzo; if you do not do this, if you do not go to the inn and complete my request, the person in question could be killed.'_

The two of them watched as he took a seat and lit another cigarette. Both remained silent, waiting for Sanzo to elaborate. Finally, after a few puffs of the cancer stick, he spoke again.

"The hag told me that if I left her here, she'd die. So leaving without them is not an option."

He reached for the cigarette pack, only to have it pulled away by a certain scarlet-haired pervert. Gojyo grinned over the table at him. "You're in danger of sounding attached, Master Sanzo."

His comment was met by the barrel of a Smith & Wesson.

"Shut up or piss lead. Your choice."

"All right, all right, just stop pointing that thing at me, ya frigging priest!"

Once the gun had been put away, Sanzo took a sweeping survey of the room; he realized one of their party was gone. "Where's Goku?"

"He's upstairs with the sisters. He mentioned something about helping Janachi pack." Hakkai smiled knowingly, which caused Gojyo to burst into a fit of hysterical laughter.

"The monkey's got a crush!"

* * *

Ina became aware of footsteps outside the room about five seconds before the door slammed open, revealing Rayne's figure. She smiled and began to greet the older girl when she noticed her friend's facial expression.

Rayne had been crying. Again.

Jana, however, had not noticed and at once flounced over to her sister. Once there she tugged playfully on Rayne's dress and began to chatter away.

"Guess what, guess what Raynie, betcha can't guess! Guess what, huh! Sanzo told all of us to pack and I don't know all of it but I think, I think he's going to take us aways! Isn't that the neatest! Huh, huh, huh! Rayne? Dontcha think it's great?...Rayne?"

The youngest Shuichi sister was overcome by confusion as her older sister pushed past her to collapse at the vanity. Looking over her sister's shoulder at her face in the mirror, Jana saw what Ina meant when she said Rayne looked older. Her eldest sibling was only 21, but the lines in her face caused by worry and stress made her look at least 10 years older. Not to mention her entire figure and posture was that of a woman defeated. Even now she sat slumped forward in the chair, her head hung.

"Rayne? Did you hear me?"

The woman stirred and nodded wearily. She tried to give the girl behind her in the mirror a smile, only to look like she was grimacing. "I heard, Jana. It's a good thing that…you guys found a way out of this place. I'm happy." With that, she closed her tired eyes.

"What do you mean 'you guys'? You make it sound like you're planning on sitting around here, waving us off."

Enoki emerged from the closet, carrying a stack of clothes. She sat them on the bed and began to pack them into the suitcase, glancing at her sister's reflection in the mirror. Like Rayne would really give up a chance to get out of here!

"That's just it. I am going to sit here and wave you off. I'm not going."

"…………………………………………………………………"

"What the hell did you just say!"

"You couldn't possibly be serious, Rayne!"

"Raynie!"

The raven-haired girl opened her eyes and glared at the three women behind her in the mirror. "I didn't stutter, so unless you three have developed hearing problems, you heard me correctly. I'm not going with you and the others. I'm staying here."

The emerald haired woman stalked over and spun Rayne's chair so that she was facing the rest of them. "Sorry for being rude, but why in the hell would you want to stay in this hellhole with our drunk of a mother! We've got a chance to get out, a chance to make it. Why won't you take it!"

Rayne stood, now face to face with her sibling, but instead of confronting Enoki, she diverted her gaze to Ina. After a few moments, the younger woman understood exactly what the reason for Rayne's refusal was.

"I see. This has something to do with the blonde priest, am I right? Something to do with your shared past."

The eldest girl nodded and dropped back down to the chair. Her entire personality seemed wilted, to the point of overwhelming despair. Ina suspected her pain originated from old wounds that had been reopened due to Sanzo's reappearance. Rayne had never talked about her past, nor had the other two sisters mentioned anything about the years that Rayne had lived away from home. However, it was obvious that something had happened during that time that caused Rayne anguish even now. It gave Ina pains to see her friend suffering so much.

"……..It's not that I don't want to leave. I cannot go. I'm just too tired to keep up hope that there's something else for me. And….I'm afraid. I cared too much one time, and it's haunted my life ever since. You're right to suspect that Sanzo plays a critical part in my refusal. I'm afraid of what might happen if I choose to follow him again. Can't you see I'm afraid of change! I'm afraid of starting over, of finding a new reason to live besides routine! I'm scared of my own heart starting to beat again! I won't go, not if I'm uncertain. I'm no longer someone who rejoices in adventure and the unknown, but rather someone who lives in fear of it. I'm afraid that if things don't work out, I won't have the heart to continue. Can't you see th…."

_Slap_

Ina and Jana stared in amazement as Enoki's hand collided with Rayne's face. The raven-haired woman held a hand to her bruised cheek and gawked silently at her sister. Contempt flashed across her younger sibling's face as she backed towards the door.

"Coward. You little, whining coward. You disgust me with your god damned self pity rant! You're not my sister…." Unable to speak any longer, she turned on her heel and fled the room as Goku returned from Jana's room carrying her suitcase. Silence settled over the remaining girls, the only sound was Jana sniffling quietly. Ina glanced away from the door to Rayne only to find that the other woman was scrutinizing her hands as though they were covered in dirt.

'_Or blood.'_

Ina had a suspicion that Rayne was dealing with some mighty strong inner demons at the moment. And more than likely, at least one of them had blonde hair.

* * *

_(Meanwhile, downstairs……)_

The three had argued the point to death, but that wasn't stopping them from continuing in a tiring debate. Both Hakkai and Gojyo were having trouble convincing Sanzo to leave Rayne while they themselves had misgivings about their own feelings in the matter. And Sanzo was still adamant about taking the four women with them. Gojyo thought it was all a little weird, what with him arguing _against _taking four gorgeous chicks with them.

'_But Enoki's not just another chick, and you know that.'_

Stupid voice in his head. But it was right, after all. For some reason that he couldn't quite put a finger on, he knew that Enoki was much more than the average girl he picked up of the streets. She was unique.

She was also headed down the stairs and out the back door.

Before he even gave it a thought, he was through the kitchen and out the back door behind her. He found her sitting by the wall, in what appeared to be several inches of snow. Apparently, it hadn't been rain he had seen falling earlier. He silently knelt down in front of her and took her hand.

"Hey, what's up gorgeous?"

The girl in front of him gestured angrily with her hands. "It's my damned sister! She won't go with us because, because….I don't know why! She says she's afraid, but that's bullshit! My sister wouldn't give up like that. It's that damned priest. Ever since you guys showed up, she's been moping around in her own self pity." She gave a frustrated sigh and leaned back against the building. The red head took a seat beside her and gave an amused chuckle in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, the monk has that affect on people. He's like a frigging black cloud or something, I swear."

They lapsed into silence, unable to find anything else to rant about. Gojyo's thoughts drifted to a daydream in which he had met Enoki under different circumstances. He sat there for a few moments, pondering the scenario playing through his mind, until her voice broke his reverie.

"You're not going to take us, are you?"

There was no malice or resentment in her voice. Simply a quiet resignation of the fact. But that resignation alone gave Gojyo more pain than malice would have. Mostly because she was completely right; they wouldn't take them. It was exactly what he had been trying to get through Sanzo's head for the past half hour. But now, face to face with Enoki, he was starting to see why Sanzo was unwilling to accept the fact that they would have to leave them behind.

"I won't lie to you, Noki. It's…..just not possible. You wouldn't be any safer with us than with your mom. In fact, it'd probably be worse. At least here you're not in danger of dying every day."

She simply stared at a spot on the ground in front of her. He could see the tautness of her jaw, the tears threatening to spill.

"You don't….You don't know that. Every day I wish…something would happen to me that would take me away…." The words gave through to tears and she began sobbing uncontrollably. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to his chest, feeling a flutter of relief as she wrapped her slender arms around his neck. Silently he held her in the snow, her own grief reawakening his old scars from childhood once again.

* * *

**Author's Note: I updated! I'm not dead, people, so please R&R. Happy Valentine's Day you guys!**

**Sanzo: What she said, Happy whatever Day****...:adjusts his glasses: She made me say that.**

**BH: Be silent, slave!**

**Sanzo: Somebody, shoot me...**


	13. Ch 13: Massacre

Rayne sighed and blew cigarette smoke out of the bedroom window. Below her, she could hear the sounds of her sister's rage and red-headed man's placating tones. After a few moments, they both lapsed into silence.

She could feel the grim atmosphere that had settled over the inn. Taking a last drag on the cigarette, she ground it into the ashtray and sighed. Her life hadn't exactly been the model for perfection, but she had gotten by. If he had just stayed away…..

_(You're a horrible liar. Him coming here isn't the problem. It's you. You can't even convince yourself to get out of the bed in the morning. He was your whole existence, your reason for being. The only thing you're afraid of is not being able to turn your back on him when he walks out the door again. You tried to close the door on him once, but he stuck his damn foot in the way, didn't he? You can't forget him, and it's going to kill you if you try. If you keep your mouth shut, it's going to be your fault he leaves this time.)_

_(God damn voice in my head.)_

_(I heard that.)_

_(SHUT UP, YOU!)_

Tired of arguing with herself, she turned from the window, about to tell her younger sister and the young brunette man that had come with Sanzo to get some sleep.

"Jana, you--."

She stopped as something caught her eye. Turning back to the window, she could make out a bright glare emanating from the next hill. It seemed as though the earth was giving birth to a new sun. The wind carried a few ashes and the smell of burning wood through the window. It took Rayne a few moments to register what exactly she was seeing. Behind her, Jana gasped in horror.

"Onii-chan! Is that..."

"The temple."

* * *

Enoki looked up as she and Gojyo walked back inside. Sniffing slightly, she turned to him with a peculiar look on her face. "Do you smell something burning?"

He sniffed as well and nodded slightly. "Smells like somebody built a bonfire." He shrugged and put his arm around her shoulder. "Let's get you inside before you become a cute-sicle."

She laughed and began walking again. However, they had to slam on brakes in order to prevent being bowled over by Goku and, strangely enough, Hakkai: who came running around the side of the building. Behind them was Miss Ina, who carried a worried expression.

"Hakkai, what's the rush?" Gojyo raised an eyebrow at the monkey, who was jumping up and down, apparently too worked up to speak.

The bespectacled man regarded his friend seriously. "Miss Ina and I were out in the garden when we noticed a harsh glow on the horizon. Before we could return inside, Goku met us outside very upset. He said there's a building on fire."

Goku nodded. "Yeah, what Hakkai said. I was up on the roof and saw it. It's this huge place on the next hill. It's really blazing!"

Ina stepped forward and placed her hand on Hakkai's shoulder, a look of abject horror on her face. "If that's true, then it's the temple that's on fire!"

Jana came blazing out the back door, clearly upset. She stopped just short of the group, crying.

"Ina, the temple's on fire! We have to go help them!"

Goku put his hands on the girl's shoulders, trying to calm her. In the meantime, they were joined by Sanzo.

"What the hell is going on around here?" He took a drag off his cigarette.

Ina stepped forward and bowed respectfully, although frantically. "The temple appears to be on fire. We need to get up there and help out the monks. Some of them are our friends."

He nodded somberly. "Fine. Go inside and wait for us to come back."

"No chance."

The blonde turned to find that Rayne had made her way her outside in the melee. Dressed in a pair of shorts and a short tunic, she carried a number of small knives strapped to one thigh and wielded a large daggers in each hand. She glared at the priest.

"You're not going, woman."

She stepped around him. "I don't have time for this. If you girls want to stay here and play the damsels in distress, go ahead. But I'm going up there." She dashed past Sanzo and took off through the forest.

The rest of group stared at the priest, waiting for a signal. After muttering under his breath (something about "Damn woman") he took off after her. The rest of them followed suit.

* * *

_(Damn, how can she run that fast?)_

"_Ha, you can't catch me, Kouryou! Slow-poke!" _

"_Slow down, Rayne! You're going too far!"_

"_Wah, Wah, Kou can't keep up!"_

Sanzo struggled to keep up with the woman in front of him. Despite the new layer of snow on the ground, she was running unbelievably fast. At some points it seemed like her feet barely touched the ground at all.

Behind him, he could hear the rest of the group having as much of a problem keeping up with him. Well, at least he wasn't the only one having a problem. Putting on the gas, he tried to close the distance between him and Rayne.

Suddenly, he came over a rise to find she had stopped rather abruptly. He skidded to a stopped beside her (in a very unpriestly manner, mind you). He threw pride to the wind and doubled over, trying to catch his breath and prevent the pain in his side. The others came charging through the underbrush moments later.

"If you would slow down, woman………" Sanzo coughed and stood back up. Before them was the side gate of the temple. While the wall and gate itself remained intact, the harsh glow originated from _inside_ the complex. The sounds of a struggle and fire crackling cut through the night air.

"Now, we've got to…" Sanzo was cut off as Rayne took off again, this time towards the gate. He followed her, hoping to stop her before she charged inside and got herself killed.

"Sanzo, the gate!"

Hakkai's voice rang out behind him, causing him to change his object of attention. Still chasing Rayne, he peered at the huge gate, trying to figure out what Hakkai had meant. What was so damned special about---?

"Oh shit."

Wedged between the top of the gate and the wall was a small weight. Following the rope that was tied to the weight with his eyes, his noticed it lead back to a number of pins which were currently attached to explosives. If someone were to open the gate the weight would fall, causing---

Rayne had reached the gate. In slow motion it seemed, she reached for the handle. Unable to stop her, Sanzo watched as she pulled the gate open. For a moment, nothing happened. He took the opportunity.

"GET DOWN!"

Lunging forward, he collided with the young woman and wrapped his arms around her waist. Behind him, he felt the heat of the explosion before the incredible force of it blew them backwards. The deafening boom sounded like a roar in his ears. They hit the ground rolling amid debris and burning cinders. He felt a splinter slice his cheek as it whizzed past.

For a moment, everything was white. He gradually became of the weight on top of him, which he took to be Rayne. Behind him, he could hear his companions coughing and struggling to free themselves from the rubble. Hakkai called out to everyone in concern, and thankfully everyone answered, albeit painfully.

Sanzo sat up and brushed the rubble off of his chest. It took a moment to register that the weight on his chest was debris, not the young woman he was trying to save. Becoming somewhat distraught over the fact, he began looking around for her.

"Rayne?! Woman, where the hell are--?"

A small figure was kneeled in front of him, seemingly praying to the devastation in front of them. The praying scene, however, was marred by the tears coursing down her dirt-smeared cheeks and the look of grief-stricken shock on her face. Raising her face to the sky, she uttered a heartbreaking shriek.

"EKICHI!"

* * *

**BH: I LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!! throws confetti **

**I'd like to apologize to everyone for neglecting this story so long (over two years, by my watch). I went through some things for a while that prevented to continue doing the things that I love, which is writing for your enjoyment. But I'm back, and hopefully here to stay. I can't promise that it will be on a regularly basis, but I do promise that I will get the Shuichi sisters and the Sanzo party to the end of this journey I put them on. As always, R&R!**


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